Don_Krider

I just clicked it and the page came up for me, so I'm not sure why it's not working for you. Maybe that other Boss from New Jersey, Bernie, has an idea? Don

When you say you're having trouble "logging in," I'm assuming you can pull up the page, but can't log in to leave comments on the articles (since clicking on the link above, I'm having no problem bringing up the page). If that's the case, do you have a Google account (it's free)? Once you have a Google account, it's pretty easy to log in and leave a comment on any of the posted articles. Don Krider

Thanks for posting those lyrics, Bernie. The quality of lyric-writing on that song and everything else connected with the "Boats Against The Current" sessions is so stunning. That color photo of Eric with Gus Dudgeon (the meeting of the sunglasses) is pretty cool (different from the shot in your book, "Marathon Man"). I'd love to see any photos from the "Boats Against The Current" recording sessions of Eric with Burton Cummings, Andrew Gold (who later had hits like "Lonely Boy"), Nigel Olsson (Elton John's drummer), David Wintour (from Neil Sedaka's band), Richie Zito (Neil Sedaka), Rich Reising (later of The Euclid Beach Band), Bobby "Brown Sugar" Keys, Bruce Johnston (The Beach Boys), Jeff Porcaro (Toto), James Newton Howard (who went on to win Oscars and an Emmy for his soundtrack scores) or any of the other great players on that album --- really little has surfaced, photo-wise, from those sessions. Speaking of Bernie and Ken Sharp's book, "Eric Carmen: Marathon Man," neat stuff in there about Brian Wilson and Shaun Cassidy dropping by the studio while "Boats Against The Current" was being recorded... Don Krider http://www.epinions.com/content_393207123588

Just a heads up gang: if you're not reading the "Boats Against The Current" 30th Anniversary Blog folks, created by your EricCarmen.Com webmaster Mr. Bernie Hogya, you are missing some neat stuff. Bernie previously posted a demo of "Runaway" on that site at http://www.ericcarmen.blogspot.com/ , and now he has posted a playable demo of "A Temporary Hero" there (just look for the "A Temporary Hero" headline, read the story behind the song, and at the the end of the story is the link to the song). It's a beautiful lost gem from the "Boats" recording sessions (Eric's unreleased songs are better than most of the songs that have hit the Top 10 during the past 30 years, period) - God, your piano playing and the lead vocal are simply gorgeous, Eric. Kudos, Bernie! Don Krider http://www.epinions.com/content_393207123588

Not only has this Cleveland Scene article become the "most commented" on (31 comments so far) among all their articles and their "most viewed" article in music, according to own their statistics on the Cleveland Scene website, but it has moved up to #2 among the "most viewed" of all their articles online (news, music, environment, politics, etc.). Yup, not much interest in our Raspberries "Live On Sunset Strip" album (but apparently the editorial staff at Cleveland Scene doesn't know how to correct that album title error in their online article; usually, that's a simple thing to do)... Don Krider

Thanks guys. Bernie's got the duet clip of Eric and Louise singing "As Long As We Got Each Other" up on this site at http://www.ericcarmen.com/multimedia/video6.htm Don Krider http://www.epinions.com/content_393207123588

"I'm sorry, Elton, but Bruce asked to write the liner notes first..."

Somebody added a video of Louise Mandrell singing her hit cover of Eric Carmen's "Maybe My Baby" to YouTube last month (it hit #8 on the Billboard Country Singles chart in 1985): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtzKQhHJ8A8 Don Krider

There's a rather nice photo (third photo down) and biography of Eric's brother, Fred Carmen, at http://www.livemillennium.com/executive_staff.asp . Fred co-wrote Eric's single "The Rock Stops Here" - http://www.ericcarmen.com/music/lyrics11.htm#7 . Pretty impressive biography. Don Krider http://www.epinions.com/content_393207123588

Raspathens, if it's a fan site, I'm sorry I posted this. I found it interesting. But I still find the quote in Bernie Hogya's and Ken Sharp's "Eric Carmen: Marathon Man," page 145, to be a good indicator that she liked Eric once upon a time, at least. Quote Dave Smalley of Raspberries: ---------------------- ---------------------- ..."I will always remember the Bill Bixby Special because that's where Eric met Morgan Fairchild," says Dave. "She was a magician's assistant. Wally and I saw her walking around and thought she was pretty hot. She and Eric really hit it off."... ----------------------- ----------------------- Crg2, I suspect that appearance was before she became famous for those types of roles. Don Krider

Another favorable review of Raspberries "Live On Sunset Strip" from PopMatters (August 20, 2007) --- okay, he goofs up and has Dave Smalley playing rhythm guitar instead of bass, and Eric's last name is spelled wrong once (might be the typesetter's fault), but he does like the album: Raspberries are back in all their power (pop) and glory by Dan MacIntosh It's a little strange to hear Eric Carmen sing once again about teenage lust via songs like "I Wanna Be With You" and "Go All The Way"—especially after all these years. It's been three-plus decades since the Raspberries last recorded together, and unlike many other classic rock bands from that era, this is only their first such reunion. But the good news is they don't sound like they've aged at all. Lead singer Carman is backed by Wally Bryson on guitar, Jim Bonfanti at the drums, and Dave Smalley on rhythm guitar. This live document contains 21 songs, most of which are original material. The group also covers the Who's "I Can't Explain" and the Searchers—"Needles And Pins". The band only released four CDs during its short half-decade together, so they had to throw in a few favorite outside songs just to keep their sanity. Sadly, the Raspberries broke up because their power-pop sounds were quickly being drowned out by all the progressive junk released in the '70s. But Bruce Springsteen's liner notes for this two-disc package reveal that musician-fans saw the group as more than just a lightweight power-pop outfit. Springsteen notes: "Soaring choruses, Beach Boy harmonies over crunchy Who guitars, lyrics simultaneously innocent, lascivious, and all about sex, sex, sex continue to make for an unbeatable combination." Another fan at the time, John Lennon, is also pictured wearing a Raspberries sweatshirt. Had there been more average fans that got it, perhaps the Raspberries back catalogue for this reunion tour might have been much bigger. Such are the breaks. It's easy to lump the Raspberries in with other pioneering power-pop acts like Badfinger and Big Star. But unlike those two cult acts, the Raspberries experienced a brief life on the top of the charts. Still, power-pop fans don't hold Raspberries' big hits against them. The group combined memorable melodies with great rock guitar better than most. So they deserved to have hits, God bless 'em. I can remember loving "Go All The Way:" back in junior high school, even though I didn't really realize how sexual it was at the time. It was played on the school bus radio in between Elton John and Kiss songs. But there was an urgency, a passion to it; one that I would later also relate to in Clash and Springsteen songs. There was also that great Wally Bryson guitar riff that couldn't be beat. "Go All The Way" is included on Disc 2, along with the cream of the Raspberries' crop. This second disc begins with "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)", which Carmen introduces by describing the transistor radio he listened to under his pillow as a child."Overnight Sensation" features Carmen's piano and layered vocals. It's probably outlines a music fan's dream, and every music journalist's fantasy—let's be honest—too. Ah, to hear your music on the radio. With "Ecstasy", also on this second CD, the Raspberries get all the inner Who out of their system. It features a Keith Moon-esque wild drum intro and a Pete Townshend riff. Rodger Daltrey will never sing nearly as smoothly as Carmen can, and that's the one factor that keeps the tune from nearly being a Who imitation song. "I'm A Rocker" is a Stones-y, piano-colored boogie song, which sounds a little ironic out of Carmen's mouth; especially since Mr. Carmen became famous for power ballads like "All By Myself" later in his solo career. If you only own the Raspberries' greatest hits CD, this new live CD might seem to be a long stretch of unfamiliar music. Only about half of these songs are recognizable to most average rock fans. But even so, Carmen sounds like he's having a blast, and the band is clearly enjoying this experience of playing together again. So you may just learn to like a few new (to you) Raspberries songs. When you compare "Go All The Way" with some of the sexed up stuff on modern radio, it sounds relatively innocent now. But there's a reason why they call classic rock classic. It makes perfect sense that many of today's teens are gobbling up AC/DC and Doors' songs; they hold up extremely well over time. Let's hope some of these retro teens also pick on the Raspberries because experiencing the ecstasy of "Go All The Way" all over again is simply heavenly. __________ Don Krider

I believe The Secret did mostly covers on stage. There is audio and video from their shows floating around (I was fortunate enough to see the professionally shot music video for their cover of Raspberries "Hard To Get Over A Heartbreak" years ago). Jim Bonfanti often sat in with the group, too. That photo of Eric joining Wally and Dave in The Secret on stage is on page 329 of Ken Sharp's "Overnight Sensation" book. Apparently they did a 45-minute set doing Beatles covers and Raspberries tunes ("Should I Wait," "Tonight"). I've never seen any video footage of that, if it exists. Don Krider

I want to give a shout out to Tommy Allen of The Flashcubes (better known on EricCarmen.Com as mamacote) for his great production (with Blondie guitarist Paul Carbonara) on Jesse Bryson's "Abilene," which you can listen to on Jesse's website at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=16251586 Tommy produced one of my favorite power pop albums of all-time, The Sighs "What Goes On," and also played drums on (and produced) Eric Carmen's "Never Say Die" --- http://www.ericcarmen.com/multimedia/nsd.html --- which features our webmaster, Bernie "Six String" Hogya on guitar. If you haven't discovered The Flashcubes, go here: http://www.theflashcubes.com Don Krider The Sighs: http://www.epinions.com/content_106540404356

Hope you get your interview, Suzanne! Don Krider

What fascinates me is that jnedley, who started this thread, is Editorial Administrator Jason Nedley of Cleveland Scene. He has hung his paper's Music Editor Justin F. Farrar, who wrote the article, out to dry here. Nedley has not defended Farrar and has made no further posts here. Farrar, after writing the article, has not responded to the 30 comments (so far) posted with his article at Cleveland Scene (all negative, except for Vanky Panky). It seems they know how to attack, but can't defend their positions. The biggest revenge for Raspberries is that since the Cleveland Scene article appeared Best Buy has decided to stock the album in all its stores and the album's sales at online retailers have grown (based on sales rankings at Amazon.Com and CDUniverse.Com). Meanwhile, Cleveland Scene is "like an old newspaper, blowin' down some windy street"... Don Krider

I started to feel sorry for the guy when I was first reading that, but then he managed to finish his resume sounding self-centered, self-important and self-absorbed... and he wonders why his writing is getting rejection slips?

"Yeah, it's in his garage, the Raspberries Rollswagen, in mint condition..." Don ;-)

Looks like actress Morgan Fairchild still likes Eric's music. The list of her favorite music (an enormous list on her MySpace page) includes Raspberries "I Wanna Be With You" and Eric Carmen's "All By Myself" at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=145287974 You can read that '70s icon's TV and movie credits here: http://www.morganfairchild.com/biography.htm And if you've got Bernie Hogya's and Ken Sharp's "Eric Carmen: Marathon Man," see page 145 where Dave Smalley says: ---------------------- ---------------------- ..."I will always remember the Bill Bixby Special because that's where Eric met Morgan Fairchild," says Dave. "She was a magician's assistant. Wally and I saw her walking around and thought she was pretty hot. She and Eric really hit it off."... ------------------------- ------------------------- Kind of neat that she still lists Raspberries and Eric as among her favorite musicians. Don Krider http://www.epinions.com/content_393207123588

Michael has a new album out, "The Soft Addictions" (which I haven't heard yet), and two new DVDs --- he's worth checking out. I doubt that anyone knows the music biz better than he does. Having his record label pull their album and cancel the group's contract when "My Town" was #29 on the Billboard charts. Now a dream ticket for me that would pack a large Cleveland venue would be A Night With Raspberries and Michael Stanley in Cleveland... Don Krider

A CliveFest would scare me... A CleveFest rocks! I was stunned (probably shouldn't have been) to find out that Clive Davis has a site on MySpace: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=180441552 --- notice that where it says "the person I'd like to meet" he says it's the "unknown artist" playing "Over The Rainbow" that is the background music on his page... Don Krider http://www.epinions.com/content_393207123588

I'm not sure if this one has been posted about here yet --- it's The Secret performing "Please Mr. Postman" (Dave Smalley on bass, singing lead, on the left side of the stage, and Wally Bryson with his dual-necked lead guitar on the right side of the stage) from 1981. Don Krider

Since Village Voice Media seems to be the parent company of many of these alternative music weeklies (like Cleveland Scene), it was funny to see this description of The Police in another of their papers, The Riverfront Times out of St. Louis: ...But to Steve Scariano of Euclid Records, when the Police came along, it was just one good band among many. Scariano, who plays in Prisonshake and the Love Experts, still recalls the first time he heard the Police. "I was playing in a band called the Nancy Boys," he says. "One of my bandmates, who worked for a local music distributor, asked me one day, 'Hey, have you heard this new band the Police? They sound like a cross between the Raspberries and Bob Marley.' As funny as that comparison may sound 30 years later, in the context of the times it was actually kinda right on the money. I immediately liked [the first Police album, Outlandos d'Amour], just as everyone else digging the onslaught of all that original new-wave and punk-rock stuff at the time did."... I don't think I've ever heard Raspberries, The Police and Bob Marley mentioned in the same breath before, but it's an interesting comparison. Don Krider

That fellow writes a fine editorial! G. S. Harper is a Cleveland musician. Don Krider

Ditto! Don

14 Cleveland bands will play a concert for charity called CleveFest in Brooklyn, New York, on August 25, 2007 --- details are here: http://newyork.going.com/invite-8755?src=v_wi_nyc_8755_aa59331295 and here http://www.myspace.com/cleveland_fest Among the 14 Cleveland acts you'll see for your $10 admission is Jesse Bryson (Raspberries' guitarist Wally Bryson's talented son). Jesse Bryson will also play at International Pop Overthrow (IPO) in New York in November of 2007, according to http://thebrysongroup.com/tourdates/ . That's one of the biggest power pop events around; while complete details on New York dates, venues, etc., haven't been announced yet, info on other IPO events in other cities is online at http://www.internationalpopoverthrow.com/ under "schedules". You can see video of Jesse and Wally on stage together with The Bryson Group in Cleveland at: http://thebrysongroup.com/ , or visit Jesse's website at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=16251586 to hear clips of some of Jesse's songs (I really like "Lonely" and "Abilene"). Don Krider http://www.epinions.com/content_393207123588